Both hands gripping onto the metal bars I push off my right foot into our tuk-tuk. I place my bag on the floor at my feet and take a seat. A spot that I have sat in many times this past month, however, this time it felt different. I look out to my left focusing on each person we pass by, and all the rugged buildings surroundings us. Buildings I had passed by everyday heading to ministry but somehow it was as if I was looking at them all for the first time. As we reach our destination I cannot help to think, “This is the wrong place. We must have taken a wrong turn somewhere?” All the familiarity that was surrounding me had vanished. We were only one short road from the main street yet, it was as if we had gone hours away. Our driver, Sam, comes around to the back with a look of concern. The four of us all look at each other with the same distraught face. In an apprehensive voice Sam says, “Be careful, a lot of people here smoke heroin and steal.” All at once I was filled with discomfort, as I gripped onto my bag that was now sitting on my lap. “Well are we going to get out?” My leader asks. As we hop out off the tuk-tuk my eyes glaze over the desolate area. We start walking straight forward with one guitar in hand, a ukulele in the other, and 4 singing voices in hopes that the Lord would lead us in the direction of people.
Before we had left for the day, our squad leaders told us that our ministry would consist of ATL (Ask The Lord). As a team we all prayed in the morning asking the Lord to tell us where He wanted us for the day. Normally during the week we have set ministries but this time around we had to fully rely on God’s instructions. Which led my team and I too the slums for a day of worship.
Over a hundred steps and still no sign of life. I ask myself, “What are we doing here God?” I look down at my feet to see no pathway, rather it was completely filled with garbage. A scrawny rooster runs across the pathway leading me to look up for a moment, I look up to see a little boy wearing only a shirt that barely covered his body leaving the rest of him exposed. I could not help but wish that I had brought more with me to give to this little boy. Although we had no food or clothes with us to give, we had the gift of worship to share to this little boy, all the other surrounding kids, and adults. My team and I with no hesitation approached the abandoned train station. As we got closer I saw this dismal face. It was a man standing in what looked like the kitchen and living room of their home. My leader ask, “Can we play a song for you?” His head quickly turns to us. With a slight grin on his face he guides us to the back of the room by a piece of plywood. We started strumming our instruments and singing worship songs to a crowd of five kids that soon doubled in number.
That discomforted feeling I had once felt quickly turned into joy. Not once did I feel fear when singing to the people who lived in the slums, a place full of poverty and depression. The men nearby did not once make me feel uncomfortable. Seeing all the smiles simply made me realize how there is no room for fear. God called us to this place and I was sure of that. He is our protector. I could not let this opportunity go to waste because of some fear.
During this time God revealed to me that we have to lay our lives down to Him. There is no “wait God let me take hold of this for a sec.” God is in control, all the time, that is if you surrendering all to him. Sometimes surrendering means you might find yourself in a desolate area full of landfill with only your voice or maybe it is the busy city full of people in business suits that do not want to stop to hear what you have to say. The thing is if you do not follow the Lord’s voice you will never know what that day could have had in store for you. Surrender your comforts to God and see your ordinary days become extraordinary.
